Blueprint Program National Scaling Strategy - BC-915

Project type: Innovation
Desired discipline(s): Epidemiology / Public health and policy, Life Sciences, Business, Social Sciences & Humanities, Public administration
Company: Blueprint
Project Length: 4 to 6 months
Preferred start date: 01/06/2025
Language requirement: English
Location(s): Vancouver, BC, Canada
No. of positions: 1
Desired education level: Master'sPhDPostdoctoral fellow
Open to applicants registered at an institution outside of Canada: No

About the company: 

Blueprint is a nonprofit organization founded by Canadian clinicians and academic researchers, and affiliated with UBC’s Department of Family Practice, focusing on fostering men’s well-being and helping men become healthy, contributing members of families and communities. We apply evidence-based research to develop programs, education and training models to transform masculine norms, to reduce negative health outcomes like violence, substance use, disease and illness, and to inform policy and support systems change designed to reduce harmful behaviours. Our research-informed clinical interventions and educational programs have been adopted by the Canadian Armed Forces, British Columbia Provincial Fire Fighters Association (BCPFFA), British Columbia Police Association (BCPA), NHL Alumni Association, NATO, and US Department of Veterans Affairs, among others.

Describe the project.: 

The innovation to be developed is a business model to support scaling of the Blueprint First Responder Resiliency Program (FRRP), an educational program led by clinicians for BC’s first responders since 2017. The FRRP national scaling strategy provides a roadmap for Blueprint and its public sector partners to expand the program into new regions across Canada, and new segments within the first responder sector.

The First Responder Resiliency Program currently operates in British Columbia as a retreat program for fire and police personnel who experience operational stress and psychological trauma. Peer-reviewed program outcomes are clinically significant, showing reduced PTSD and depression, and increased social functioning. With expected, continued expansion in 2025 within fire and police personnel across BC, we would like to replicate program results in more provinces and territories, as well as in other segments within the first responder sector, including professional training associations and unions representing the coast guard, professional and volunteer firefighters, police and corrections, ambulance and EMS personnel across Canada.

The first step in this expansion is to create a strategy that demonstrates how FRRP can be predictably, efficiently, and responsibly scaled to other jurisdictions, using the program methodology, training materials, and evaluation and measurement metrics developed by Blueprint.

We require the candidate to first conduct a market analysis through research, interviews and virtual focus groups to identify key regional stakeholders, sources of funding, regional logistics and constraints. The candidate will then create a scaling strategy which will include suitable operational structures, funding mechanisms, locations, training clinical facilitators, and developing budget scenarios.

The candidate will also be required to establish a virtual community of practice, composed of leaders of the FRRP program within BC’s first responder community, and to develop an FRRP Train the Trainer knowledge base to support national expansion.

The candidate will also create a bursary policy to encourage FRRP participation by members of underrepresented groups in each jurisdiction, and an accompanying revenue strategy to offset the cost of bursary disbursement.

Required expertise/skills: 

- Masters degree or PhD in a relevant field.
- Fluent in English with some French proficiency.
- Data analysis tools and techniques.
- Data visualization skills.
- Budgeting and forecasting experience.